Beverage package and apparatus



Oct. 12, 1948 w. F. BROWN 2,451,195

BEVERAGE PACKAGE AND APPARATUS Filed Sept. 19, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 /4 INVENTOR. Maze/v Efianw Oct. 12, 1948. w. F. BROWN 2,451,195

BEVERAGE PACKAGE AND APPARATUS Filed Sept. 19, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 /4 flay INVEN TOR. flkz/a/v FflaW/v Oct. 12, 1948. w. F. BROWN 2,451,195

BEVERAGE PACKAGE AND APPARATUS Filed Sept. 19, 1944 k 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 MMJV n mi IN V EN TOR. fizz/6w [540M011 Patented Oct. 12, 1948 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE 2,451,195 BEVERAGE PACKAGE AND APFARATUS William F. Brown, Flushing, N Y.

Application September 19, 1944, Serial No. 554,834

3 Claims.

The invention herein disclosed relates to the packing of materials such as coffee, tea and the.

like, and to apparatus for making beverages of such materials.

Special objects of the invention are to package materials such as coffee and tea in a form convenient for handling and in a condition. ready to cooperate with and become an actual part of apparatus for making a beverage therefrom, and to provide simple, effective apparatus for taln'ng the material in such form and for quickly extracting the desirable qualities of such materials in beverage form.

More specific objects of the invention are toprovide a package of the above nature which while wholly effective for the purposes herein set forth, can be readily and inexpensively produced and which in its use in the associated apparatus will insure uniform and complete extraction.

Other objects are to so construct the package and the extraction mechanism in. such complementary relation that the package may be quickly and easily placed and sealed in the appropriate receiving chamber in the apparatus and when the extraction is completed, be as easily and as quickly removable.

Other objects are to-efiect certain desirable relations between the parts, assuring, for instance, that the package is in its proper cooperative. position, completely sealed and supported, before the hot water, steam or other extraction liquid or fluid can be turned on, and assuring al-so that the apparatus cannot be opened to release or discharge the exhausted package before the extractionfluid is turned off.

Further special objects are to assure so far as possible, uniformly desirable results, or the main tenance of desired uniform standards in the production of such beverages.

Other desirable objects and the novel features by which all purposes of the invention are attained are hereinafter set forth or will appear in: the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate certain. practical embodiments of the invention. Structure, however, may be modified and changed all withinthe true intent and broad scope. of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. 1 in the drawings is a part' vertical sectional View of the complementary package and extraction apparatus, showing the package and holder locked in position as in the extraction operation:

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the parts separated;

Fig. 3 is a view substantially at right angles as on substantially the line 3-3: of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a partsectional view of a modified form of the invention in which the cartridge holder, after insertion. in the apparatus, becomes part. of the mechanism for controlling flow of the liquid;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view as. on substantially the plane of line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Figs. 6 and 7 are broken plan and side: views. respectively of a modified form of cartridge;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of another form of the extractor; and

Fig. 8a is a broken sectional detail on line Ba -8a of Fig. 8.

Fig. 9 is a broken part sectional side view 0t another form of the invention.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of the thermal lock mechanism.

Fig. 11 is a broken cross sectionalview of a further modification of the invention;

Fig. 12 is a side elevation with a. portion in, section of the same construction;

Fig. 13 is a partly broken plan view with partsappearing as taken on substantially the plane of line l'3l3 of Fig. 11..

Considering first the package or cartridgev portion of the invention, this, as shown particularlyin Figs. 2 and- 7, comprises simply two layers of thin, porous paper, the lower one 0 cupped. to form a shallow, fiat bottom. container and. the. upper one H, ahat cover for such container. The lower, cupped element has an outstanding. annular rim I2 and the. cover elementv extends out over this rim. and. is adhesively,. cohesively or otherwise secured thereto and in such a way that the two overlying layers. form a. fiat, continuous, compressible annular flange adapted to serve as a gasket or packing.

At present it has. been found. practicable to use filter paper for both. portions of' the package and to shape the lower portion by forcing the ground coffee or other material ahead of aplunger, against the bottom. layer, down. into a conical or other shaped die cavity and with the companion members. of the die mechanism cooperating to form the. angularly outstanding lateral flange about the rim of. the thus shaped member;

The top or cover sheet of the filter paper or other material may be applied and adhesively or otherwise secured to the flange while the lower member is still in the die cavity, with its flange supported by the lower die element.

Some filter papers contain a certain amount of thermoplastic" material.

In using this typeof filter paper the two flange portions may be secured by squeezing them in a heated die shaped to fit these flange portions.

The securing of the overlying flanged edges of the two parts of the container stiffens and strengthens the combined flange suiflciently to form a reenforcement for the entire package, but preferably this flange is left in a more or less elastic, compressible state, ready to serve as an effective packing and sealing gasket. A feature of this asket portion is that it is located wholly without the perimeter of the material-containing portion of the package, so that if considered desirable, various special adhesives may be used for securing these flange parts together.

The package preferably is of flat, uniform thickness so as to be uniformly permeable. While the circular shape is a desirable form, this may be Varied and in Figs56 and 7 a rectangular form of package is illustrated. The latter has the desirable features that both top and bottom may be made from continuous strip stock with the upper strip the exact overall width of the complete package and the lower strip sufficiently wider for drawing into the cupped formation.

As indicated in these views, the packages may be formed and assembled in continuous strip form, and in such case perforations or lines of weakness I3 may be provided between adjoining package forming elements of the complete strip to facilitate removal or separation of individual units. This continuous strip formation has certain packing and other advantages. In some instances this package strip may be fed as such into the coffee making machine, the latter then being designed with suitable feeding, guiding and handling mechanism for the package strip and the individual units of the same.

In the present disclosure only the directly or cooperatively related portions of the infusion apparatus are'illustrated, these comprising, in substance, means defining a liquid conduit chambered to receive the package unit and equipped with cooperating closures to clamp the flange of the package in a manner to fully seal thesame in the liquid conduit and to support it with its upper surface, within the bounds of the sealing flange, exposed to the full flow through the conduit and with the side and bottom of the package supported against the pressure of the flow therethrough. The latter is important as the package in its original state is relatively fragile; preferably it is made with relatively inclined sides. This tapered form is readily accomplished in the dieing-assembling operation above described, and it provides both for easy placement of the package in its holder and ready removal of the spent package after the infusion has been completed.

Actually, as indicated in Fig. 2, the truncated package may be made slightly smaller or with the side inclined to a greater extent than the hol er I4 in which it is seated. This allows for commercial variations in size and assures that such a package can be quickly placed in position without special care or attention in handling.

With admission of liquid the package immediately swells to closely fit the holder, substantially as indicated in Fig. 1, pushing the inclined sides in close sealing engagement with the sides of the holder and the bottom against the perforated or reticulated bottom Wall I5 of th holder.

This automatic sealing of the package in its seat prevents any liquid from by-passing out through the sides of the package and forces the liquid to pass substantially uniformly down through all the cross sectional portions of the package.

In similar fashion, the package, in its complemental position in'the extracting apparatus, is held and confined at the top by a perforated or reticulated cover plate I6, which also serves as a spreader to direct the incoming liquid more or less uniformly across the top of the package.

The means for supplying the hot water, steam or other extracting or infusing liquid or fluid may vary, but forming a part of the same there will be some kind of a conduit such as indicated at H, and this is designed to provide the separable package containing chamber before mentioned.

In the illustration the separable chamber is made up of an upper or head portion I8 and a lower removable closure portion I9. These are shown removably and adjustably connected by internal, inclined earns 20 within the dependent flange 2| of the upper member and external projecting studs 22 engageable therewith, on the annular wall or closure portion I9 of the lower member. This annular portion I 9, in'conjunction with the perforate bottom wall I5, forms the seat or cavity for holding the cartridge, and the upper rim of such annular wall forms the seat for supporting and clamping the flange of the cartridge against the face of the over-standing top plate I6.

To prevent tearing, displacing or injuring the compressible packing flange and to make sure of preserving it in its flat, gasket-like formation as the members of the chamber are clamped to.- gether, the top plate I6 is loosely and rotatably supported so that in the screwing motion of engaging the parts it will be lifted by and turned with the package in the holder. In the example illustrated, the top plate rests loosely on an annular flange 23 Within the head 2|, so that upon engagement by the flange of the package it may tion to provide a surrounding trough 21, deeper than the central portion and having openings 28 in the inner wall of the same to discharge into the cup or other container which may be placed below the holder to collect the infusion.

The outer annular wall of the holder is shown as large enough and high enough to pass up freely over the dependent wall portion 2| of the head, as in Figs. 1 and 3. A suitable handle for manipulating the holder is indicated at 29, attached directly to this outer wall portion of the holder.

Suitable valve mechanism is provided for controlling flow of the liquid, that shown in the first form of the invention comprising simply a, rotatable valve plug 30 in the liquid conduit, having an operating handle 3 I.

To prevent the hot water being turned on before the package is fully sealed in place and to prevent the holder being loosened or removed before turning ofi the liquid flow, interlocking means may be provided between the valve and holder parts, such as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, where the outer wall of the holder is shown as extended upward as a guard 32 which Willprevent the valve handle being lowered .until the holder has been turned far enough for the handle to enter a notch 3-3 in such guard. In this latter position the holder is in fully closed relation, with the package properly sealed in .the conduit. In this position the notch in the guard locks the holder to the valve handle, preventing the holder being turned to release it until the handle is raised to close the valve. If desired, a spring may be provided tending to rotate the valve to the closed position.

Figs. 4 and-5 show how the valve andthe holder may be further combined by making the holder serve as the handle for operating the valve.

This combination is effected by attaching the head 18 to the valve plug 30, so as to turn with the plug and so'as to serve as part of a leverage system for turning the plug. Actually this can be accomplished by simply providing the head 18 with an upstanding post portion 34 having a semicircular seat 35 to match the correspondingly shaped lower end 35 of the liquid conduit 11 and spaced extensions or ears 3'! extending up over the flattened side portions 38 of the conduit, receiving and fixedly held to the valve plug, as indicated at 39.

This pivotally mounted valve head is shown as normally held in the valve closed position, Fig. l, bya spring All. When the holder is applied thereto, as in this view, the handle 29 of the holder may be used as a lever for rocking the head downwardl-y to open the valve.

I To assure engagement of the holder with the valve head only in the position where it will serve properly as a handle for operating the valve, the cam elements 20, 22, may be so disposed as to permit of engagement in only this one position, or a special interlock may be provided for this purpose, such as an outstanding pin 41 on the dependent flange of the head which will engage in a bayonet type slot 42 in the upstanding flange of the holder only when the parts are thus properly related. Also, if desired, interlocking means may be provided which will permit valve opening movement of the head only when the holder is thus properly engaged therewith.

The reentorcement afi-orded by the outstanding sealing flange enables the otherwise relatively fragile packages to be handled, packed and stored without breakage or loss of material.

If desired, these packages may be covered or sealed as by dipping them or spraying them with gelatinous or other suitable sealing medium. The use of such sealing material may be-of advantage in somewhat sti-fiening and reenforcing the pack-- age structure.

The packages, being of truncated form and appreciably smaller than the seat for the same, can be quickly and easily slipped into position in the holder, supported with the sealing flange resting on the rim'of the lower clamping element. Thus supported, the holder serves as a convenient handle for placing the package in the dispensing head. On turning the holder to close and seal the package in the liquid dispensing conduit, the loose top plate will be lifted and turned with the package to prevent scraping and possible tearing of the yield-able packing flange. When fully sea-led in position, the package will force the liquid to pass wholly and substantially uniformly through the central material-containing portion of the same, within the outline of the sealing flange. The initial looseness of the material-containing portion of the package is instantly overcome with admission of the liquid, which causes the pack!- age to swell sufficiently to fit closely against the imperforate sides of the seat. This automatical- 1y seals off any passage of liquid "through the side portions of the package and :forces all flow to be downward through the contained material. The perforate top plate, in conjunction with the valve ring 24, spreads the liquid in a thin layer and admits it substantially uniformly over the entire central area of the package. The perforate bottom of the cavity supports the bottom-of the package while permitting flow of the liquid at a desired rate of passage through the material.

The parts may be interlocked so that the :ex- 'tracting liquid cannot be turned on until the package is secured in its sealing position in the conduit and so that the package cannot doe loosened or removed until the liquid is turnedofi.

As the holder izsturned to unscrewit or release it from the dispensing head, the loose top plate will act as a follower to cause the extracted =paokage to remain in its seat in the holder. Thus the exhausted package is easily taken out :andcan Ebe separated from the holder by simply turning the holder over, upside down.

Instead of sealing the package after manufacture of the same, the sealing of the material con-- tents may be accomplished :by :using a filter ipaper impregnated or coated with gelatinous or other readily soluble, non-tasting and non-objectionable sealing medium.

Such a coating may be applied only to one surface of the paper and the packages he made up with this sealed surface at the inside of the package. This sealing coating then serves the double purpose of providing an adhesive connection between the projecting, compressible flange forming portions and an air-tight seal for the central material-containing portions of the package.

While ordinarily the exhausted package will drop freely out of the holder, means may be provided for enabling the package to be grasped and lifted out of its seat, such as one or more handle tab extensions or projections of the two layers of material forming the sealing flange portion of the article.

As a means for locking the dispensing head in the valve closed position until the package holder is properly coupled thereto, a locking dog such as indicated at 43 may be provided, as indicated in Fig. 4, pivoted at 44 in position to drop down into blocking engagement with the pivoted head, in the valve closed position, and adapted to be raised out of this locking position by a lug 45 on the holder positioned to pass beneath and raise the dog as the holder is turned into its fully sealed engagement with the head.

Various other forms of interlocks may be employed. Thus, as shown in Fig. '8, the valve .39 in the liquid supply conduit may be held normally closed by a spring 46 and be openedonlyzafter the holder is rotated to the fully sealed position by engagement of .a cam 41 on the rim of the holder The form .of the invention illustrated in Fig. 9 l

involves the same method of operation, that is, first rotating the holder to couple it to the dispensing head and then further rotating the holder to turn on the extracting liquid. In this instance, however, the valve opening operation is efiected by having the dispensing head 18 provided with a concentric valve plug portion 48 turning in a valve body enlargement 50 of the supply conduit l1.

The interlocking elements are shown in this last illustration as comprising a pivoted dog which drops down at 52 to secure the head in the valve closed position but is lifted to release the head by a cam 53 on the holder when the holder is turned to the fully sealed position. At this time also a pivoted dog 54 on the head drops down into interlocking engagement with the holder at 55 so that the holder can then be used both to turn the head into valve opening position and back to the valve closed position. Thus the valve head and package holder are locked together for both valve opening and valve closing movements. As the holder reaches the valve closed position, a stationary cam or a handle 56 may be used to release the dog 54 so the holder can then be turned to uncouple it from the head and to drop the dog 5! into position securing the head in the valve closed relation. 1

A spring may be provided in this construction also, tending to return the head to valve closed position, and a suitable stop will ordinarily be provided limiting the extent of such movement in the valve closing direction.

To assure operation of the machine only when water heated to the proper temperature is present in the supply conduit, a. thermostatic control may be provided, such as the thermostatic pin illustrated at 51 in Fig. 10, and which, subjected to control of temperature in the boiler 60 or sup-- ply conduit, will be withdrawn from its engagement with the head at 58 only when the temperature of such liquid exceeds a predetermined value, say 212 F., for which the thermostat has been set. Fig. shows locking pin 51 projected as it would be with the temperature below, say, 212 F., said pin then engaging notch 58 and holding the head l8 against turning movement which would open the valve. With the temperature at 212 F. or over, this pin is withdrawn by the thermostatic action to release the head and permit it to be turned to open the valve. This thermostatic interlock may be used with any or all forms of the dispensing heads illustrated and further, means may be provided for bleeding off any air that may be in the conduit or supply connections before admitting the liquid to the material to be extracted. While such means may be a hand valve which can first be operated to release entrapped air, it is contemplated that an automatic valve will be employed which will release entrapped air ahead of admission of the extracting liquid.

While the dispensing and extraction head may be directly connected with andconstitute in efiect a part of a boiler or urn supplying steam and hot Water, it is realized that in many instances the dispensing head may have to be at some distance from the boiler or source of supply. This is particularly so where there may be a number of the dispensing heads arranged in parallel on a long counter and all connected with the same source of supply. In such cases the connections with the boiler would be arranged to maintain a continuous hot flow, thus to assure proper temperatures at the dispensing heads and liquid delivered at the" proper extraction temperature.

In line with further standardizing operations to insure uniformly good results, it is contemplated that the supply of liquid may be efiected with a measuring chamber or measuring valve operation so that the same amount of uniformly heated liquid Will be delivered through each measured charge of the material.

Further, it is possible that the material may be contained directly in the holder, with a fine screen or layer of filter paper at the bottom and the perforate pressure plate at the top, spring tensioned or otherwise, holding the mass properly compacted for uniform passage of the extracting liquid therethrough. f

Greater uniformity of results is obtainable by keeping the dispensing head heated to as nearly as possible the desirable extracting temperature.

In Figs. 11, 12 and 13, it is shown how this may be accomplished by constructing the dispensing head 18 with a water or steam jacket 6| suitably connected in a circulating circuit as by piping indicated at 62.

In this last disclosed form of the invention the valve plug 30 is shown located in the water jacketed portion of the head immediately above the liquid distributing chamber 25, so as not to take heat away from the infusion liquid and so as to avoid the possibility of leaving any, liquid in the discharge end of the conduit, requiring to be discartridges, it may be desirable to seal the cartridge in place without subjecting it to any turning or twisting movement such as might tend to wrinkle or tear it.

This is provided for in the construction shown in Figs. 11 to 13, by making that portion of the holder which carries the cartridge as a separate part, joining nonrotatably with the head and utilizing the handle portion of the holder as a coupling means rotatably engageable with the head. In the illustration the cartridge holder proper is in the nature of a fiat, shallow, perforate bottom cup 63 loosely resting in the handle carrying ring 64. The loose holder is held against rotation by engagement of gear teeth 65 thereon with corresponding elements 66 on the head, these having a deep enough loose mesh to permit sufficient vertical movement for proper clamping of the sealing flange of the cartridge. The rotary engagement of the coupling ring with the head is effected by cam hooks 61 on the rim of the same engaging pins or shoulders 68 on the head.

Figs. 12 and 13 also illustrate the featureof providing the cartridge with a tab or extension 69, which may be used as a handle for placing the cartridge in and lifting it out of the holder, and may have other advantageous vuses, such as for identifying and certifying the contents of'the cartridge. For example, this tab may carry a seal, trade mark or other identification of the product to be. extracted, and the parts may be of the coupling ring E l-so as to be in full view at all times. 7 7

While contemplated that material in the nature of filter'paper will ordinarily be used for making up the cartridges, it is realized that other less permeable materials may be used and that, .in fact, a seal-ing material such as Cellophane may be used and the material be punctured to break the seal either just before or as a part .of the act of placing the cartridge in the machine. Fig. 11 shows how, for such purposes, the upper, loosely supported perforated top plate may carry needle points H and the bottom perforated plate carry like puncturing points 12. This construction permits use of a non-porous, self-sealing material for the packages and the maintaining of the packages in-the initially sealed condition up to the time they are fully sealed in the extracting chamber.

What is claimed is:

1. Beverage apparatus comprising a liquid conduit having an oscillating valve element, a dispensing head carried by said element and oscillatable in opposite directions to effect valve opening and closing movements, a package holder rotatably and removably engageable with said dispensing head and provided with a handle by which it may be rotated to engage it with or disconnect it from said dispensing head or oscillated to impart opening and closing movements to said oscillating valve element, cooperating means on said dispensing head and removable holder for confining a beverage material containing cartridge in place between said members, looking means for preventing valve opening movement of said dispensing head until said package holder is engaged in final position on said movable dispensing head, means on said holder for effecting release of said locking means when said holder is engaged in final position on the dispensing head and means for locking said holder in non-rotatable relation to said dispensing head when said holder is engaged in final position on the dispensing head and whereby said handle may be used to secure said holder to said dispensing head and to unlock said head, then oscillate it in reverse directions to open and then close the valve and finally unlock and remove the holder from the head.

2. Beverage extracting and dispensing apparatus comprising in combination with a dispensing head having a fluid supply passage and a separable holder having a rotative coupling engagement with said head, a soft, flexible beverage material containing cartridge seated in said holder and providing a pressure holding liquidtight seal between the dispensing head and holder, said cartridge composed only of a bottom layer of filter paper having a shallow central truncated cup formation to contain the material and a surrounding continuous laterally projecting annular flange about the edge of the same and a top layer of filter paper covering the cup formation and laterally extending flange of the lower layer, the overlying rim portion of said cover layer being sealed to the projecting flange of the lower layer and forming therewith a flat annular continuous compressible sealing flange of substantially uniform double thickness surrounding and disposed exteriorly of the material containing cup formation, said holder having a truncated socket receiving and closely conforming to said cup formation of the cartridge, with a perforate bottom wall supporting the bottom of the cartridge and a closed, inclined annular side wall for supporting the side portion of the cup formation, said holder and the dispensing head with which it is separably connected having opposed companion annular clamping portion-s substantially conforming to and engaging between them the projecting annular compressible sealing flange of the cartridge, means for enabling adjustable coupling of the holder to the dispensing head to apply variable compressive pressure to said sealing flange of the cartridge to seal the holder to the disp head with the cartridge in place between the two and means within the dispensing head in line with the supply passage for spreading entering liquid substantially uniformly over the top .of the cartridge truncated cup formation to contain the material and a surrounding continuous laterally projecting annular flange about the edge of the same and a top layer of filter paper coverin the cup formation and laterally extending flange of the lower layer, the overlying rim portion of said cover layer being sealed to the projecting flange of the lower layer and forming therewith a flat annular continuous compressible sealing flange of substantially uniform double thickness surrounding and disposed exteriorly of the material containing cup formation, said holder having a truncated socket receiving and closely conform ing to said cup formation of the cartridge, with a perforate bottom wall supporting the bottom of the cartridge and a closed, inclined annular side wall for supportin the side portion of the cup formation, said holder and the dispensing head with which it is separably connected having opposed companion annular clamping portions substantially conforming to and engaging between them the projecting annular compressible sealing flange of the cartridge, means for enabling adjustable coupling of the holder to the dispensing head to apply variable compressive pressure to said sealing flange of the cartridge to seal the holder to the dispensing head with the cartridge in place between the two and means within the dispensing head in line with the supply passage for spreading entering liquid substantially uniformly over the top of the cartridge held in position sealing the holder to the dispensing head, one at least of said sealing flange clamping portions being rotatably supported to turn with the cartridge sealin flange when engaged by the latter in the rotative coupling of the cartridge holder to the dispensing head.

WILLIAM F. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number 12 FOREIGN PATENTS Country 2 Date Great Britain Nov. 24, 1921 Great Britain June 17, 1937 Italy Aug. 20, 1928 Italy Mar. 22,1934 France Feb. 16, 1914 France Feb. 5, 1912 France May 14, 1921 France Oct. 9, 1933 France Oct. 21, 1935 

